SBDC Client Success Story

In downtown Dike, Iowa, a small town just off US-20, there just wasn't a place for people to gather. That is, until Angie Koop and Laura Dove decided to build one.

The two had been friends for years, raising kids together, camping together, and always finding their way to a coffee shop to catch up. When the idea to open their own coffee spot collided with the availability of a neglected building, the calling seemed within reach. But there was just one thing: while they loved coffee and their community, neither of them had any experience running a coffee shop.

A local economic developer connected the pair with Amy Dutton at the UNI Small Business Development Center (SBDC). They arrived at the first meeting with a shared dream and one honest question: could a small town like Dike, a town with little more than a Kwik Star, actually support a coffee shop?

Over the next two years, Amy helped them find out. Angie and her husband Steve purchased the building and applied for the Community Catalyst grant, a $100,000 matching fund from the Iowa Economic Development Authority focused on redeveloping underutilized commercial properties. Then came the wait: ten months for grant approval, followed by a year gutting and remodeling the building from top to bottom.

With the help of the SBDC, they set a concrete goal (measured, fittingly, in coffee cups sold) and built a financial roadmap to guide their decisions before ever opening the doors. As Amy puts it, realistic numbers are what separate a good idea from a viable business. 

"It's critical to have realistic sales goals and researched estimates for startup and operating costs," Amy said. "If expenses are underestimated or sales are overstated, a business runs the risk of running out of money before they build traffic and momentum." 

The community showed up too, buying bagged coffee and supporting the mission long before the shop had a door. 

"We couldn't have done it without Amy and the SBDC," Laura said. "She should have a big mural on the wall." 

Amy remains the owners' "first line of defense" because, even with careful planning, not every day goes as planned. 

"Some days, all we could do was look at each other and say, ‘I don't know what we're doing today, but we're here. We show up, and that's just what we do,’" Angie said.

One year after opening their doors, Joyful Java has become far more than a place to grab coffee. The once-empty building now welcomes neighbors, travelers, and families, with apartments upstairs and in the back adding new life to the block. Dike is alive: busy sidewalks, tight parking, and the sound of laughter drift off the coffee shop patio. High schoolers put their phones down to gather on couches. Older residents come in alone and find company. Business meetings happen at café tables. And the community has a healthy lunch option where nearly everything, down to the pie crusts, is made from scratch. For the owners, success was never truly about cups served.

It's a ripple effect Amy has watched play out before. 

"Many rural cities are quiet, with little activity outside of passing traffic and the arrival and departure of students and employees," Amy said. "The addition of a business like Joyful Java, which pulls in daytime traffic, can quickly create a spillover effect." 

Other businesses see new customers as Joyful Java consumers drive in from out of town, jobs are created, local option taxes are generated, and, in this case, new connections are made in the social space the shop has created.

Now focused on year two, Joyful Java is leaning into what its first year taught them, such as healthier menu options with ingredients like freshly milled flour, and offering local retail goodies within the shop. They're also planning to incorporate more community classes and events, from homemade pasta nights to outdoor concerts.

Asked what they'd tell someone sitting on a business idea but unsure where to start, the owners kept it simple: "Get as much information as you can. Take one little step at a time. Most importantly, you have to be passionate about it. If you don't love it, you're not going to show up every day."

Learn more about the UNI Small Business Development Center.